Mark 34 Gun Weapon System

USS Mason fires her Mark 45 Mod 4

The Mark 34 Gun Weapon System (GWS) is a component of the Aegis Combat System that is responsible for controlling and providing fire control to the 5" Mark 45 gun. It is used on the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and several later Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The Mk 34 GWS receives target data from the ship's sensors and off-ship sources, performs ballistic calculations, and produces gun control orders. The system is made up of the gun mount itself, the fire-control computer, and an optical sight.[1][2]

The Mk 34 GWS was developed to improve the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer's ability to use the Mk 45 gun against a variety of threats.[2] It is different from previous gun fire-control systems in that it was developed under a one-system concept and is a fully integrated subsystem of Aegis. The Aegis Command and Decision (C&D) system issues target engagement orders to the Mk 34 GWS.[1]

  1. ^ a b Bomar, Jim; Null, Roger; Wallace, Jerry (1993). Gunner's Mate. The Activity.
  2. ^ a b "MK 34 Gun Weapon System (GWS)". man.fas.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2022-11-30.